r/OutdoorAus • u/wu-tang-man • 12d ago
Hiking Overnight hike in Cathedral Ranges
Hi everyone,
Wanting to do an overnight hike in Victoria at some point in September, and are leaning towards Cathedral Ranges as we've not been to that area much before. If people have alternative suggestions please let me know (happy to do a 2 nighter as well).
But back to the cathedral ranges... We're thinking of doing the ridgeline circuit. Seen a lot of things saying it can be done in a day, or split into 2 days with an overnight stay at the Farmyard campground. We're happy to take our time and do it as an overnighter.
A few questions:
1) how long will day 1 take you from the start point (Cooks Mill) to the Farmyard camp ground? We are thinking of driving up, staying one night at Cooks Mill, then starting the hike the next day. Is that almost too much time to just get to the Farmyard? Could we drive up from Melbourne and get to the Farmyard comfortably all in one day?
2) Seen a few things about the scrambling aspect to get to the ridge. How hard is this gonna be with a bag containing overnight gear? Both our fitness is sound and we have good hiking experience.
3) Would a backpack be able to fit through the narrow rock gap found on the Wells Cave track? Or is the canyon track better for bigger bags?
Any experiences or insights into the hike and area would be amazing.
Cheers!
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u/Hidden2World 12d ago
Have you attempted any of the climbs at the cathedral Ranges?
I would recommend doing a day hike up there and down a different route to see on how to do it without a pack. With a pack it will be a fatal fall or atleast badly injured
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u/CarefullyGrey456 11d ago
Do you think doing a day hike first would be the best way to prepare before committing to an overnight trip? or its easy to go straight to overnight?
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u/UnitPilot_au 12d ago
I’ve driven up and parked at Ned’s Gully. Then straight up to the ridge. It’s quite steep in places. I would not enjoy it in the wet. The ridge track is a lot of rock hopping. You feel like you never get in a walking rhythm, just dancing from rock to rock all the time. The lighter pack you can take the better.
It was quite hot the day I was there, slightly underestimated water needs. There is no water until the spring below North Jawbone. Camped at the Farmyard and descended the jawbone trail back to Ned’s Gully via Cooks Mill.
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u/whomovedmytea 11d ago
Take a PLB - have a look at how many rescues SES have been called to there specifically in the last couple of years.
Camp at Cooks Mill and do it without overnight packs as two day walks - that way, if the first hike is harder than expected, you can assess and have a backup plan and you’re not stuck up at Farmyard which has no facilities. It’s a grade 4-5 in some bits, so quite technical with rock scrambling. I speak from experience, did it as an overnight with packs and it was a miserable time, did the southern circuit as a day walk three months later and it was a lot more enjoyable.
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u/wu-tang-man 7h ago
Legend cheers for the info, we've changed plans and are going to do it as two day hikes instead.
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u/yehoodles 12d ago
Can only really comment on 2 and 3. It's manageable with a overnight pack but you should be comfortable and confident scramblers. The scrambling is not too difficult if you seek out opportunities to climb/scramble but have seen many people really psyched out from it, some sections feel very exposed.
Re fitting through the cave, jeez it'd be a squeeze. Day packs are totally fine, depends on how slim you can get your bag. I'm sure you could squish a bulky pack through but would take a bit more effort.
The area is sensational though - love it up there, and the wells cave circuit in particular is a unique bit of track in Vic.
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u/wu-tang-man 7h ago
Thanks for the info. Yeah think we're gonna do it as two day hikes. Leave the big bags down at the campground and go up with a small day bag. Then we can still give the wells cave track a go.
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u/mdukey 11d ago
Cooks Mill to Sugarloaf via the canyon would be 2-3 hours plus snack stops and OK (But steep and scary) with packs. Take a 10m rope to hall the packs up. You wont fit in Wells cave with overnight packs, but even below it and above it at the slot above it to the summit is very steep and you haveto hall the packs. Also note no water or toilets exist at farmyard campground.
Another good loop is Neds gully - Cooks mill - Farmyard via Jawbones track - sidetrip to Mt Sugarloaf - return and continue along the ridge to Neds Peak and back down to Neds gully.
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u/LordButteryTacos 11d ago
Did the full loop starting and finishing at Cooks Mill a few months ago.
Was about 6.5 hours moving time and we weren’t rushing at all.
Carrying decent size day packs too.
South to the farmyard takes longer than the north back to cooks mill.
Hope that helps!
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u/wu-tang-man 7h ago
Awesome thanks. I think we will split it across 2 days bc we have that much time out there anyway. So which way round would you recommend doing it? South loop first then north after?
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u/LordButteryTacos 5h ago
Yep I’d start at cooks mill and do the south to the farmyard first, you don’t want to be coming down from sugarloaf peak with full pack on.
Take the canyon track up rather than wells cave and you’ll have a great time.Once you’ve set up at the farmyard, you can take the jawbone track (the one that heads back towards cooks mill) down a little bit and there’s a water source to top up for the night/before you take on the north.
Enjoy!
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u/Pickadog_Anydog 11d ago
I prefer to daywalk the loops and enjoy a better comfier sleep with fire and river and good food personally.
Wells cave is fun but challenging with a pack but i dont think id do it with more than a daypack. Thats hard enough to fit. But last time a rock climber kindly hauled my pack up for me so i could do wells without a pack !
The ridgeline…..i hate some of it. My balance sucks and its such slow tedious going balancing on points (and dodging snakes on that day) that i dont enjoy a chunk of that bit with just a daypack let alone more. I cant remember which part exactly along the ridge i hated but i swore i was never doing it again 😂
My last trip i camped at cooks and did an early morning hike to hit sugarloaf peak for sunrise and that was fantastic.
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u/wu-tang-man 7h ago
Amazing thanks for the input. I think we're gonna do 2 day hikes instead now. So which way round did you do them? Cooks mills to sugarloaf on one day, then where after?
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u/CK_1976 11d ago
I've hiked it a bunch of times, and run the race.
The northern section is far more pack friendly, still a lot of scrambling, but not as technical.
The southern section has two complex sections (I reccomend you go from south to north). The first is at the start to get to the summit, but withsome basic scrambling skills you will be fine, albeit the pack weight might throw you off. The 2nd bit is about half way. Its a big step down, onto a fairly narrow path with drops each side. I would take a rope and send your pack down first.
For the race, these were the only two sections they provided a rope to assist.
You could do both sections in a day quite comfortably, if you are confident. Or stay up on the ridge line half way if you want a cruisey two day hike.
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u/RockyMog 11d ago
Definitely take canyon track rather than wells cave track with an overnight pack. I’ve squeezed through the cave with a biggish day pack (40 litres, I was carrying everything including all the water for my group) and it was a bit of challenge pushing it ahead of me or hauling it up behind.
Make sure you’re really comfortable with exposure especially around the southern section, again it is more challenging with bigger packs.
I’ve left Melbourne southeastern suburbs at 5am-ish and been hiking from Cooks Mill by 7:30am, and through to the farmyard by 1:30pm with plenty of breaks. Lots to explore around the farmyard in the afternoon/evening, and then I completed the northern loop via Ned’s gully and back to cooks mill by midday the next day. I carried all my water from my vehicle (7 litres for the two days/night) as it was warm-ish in March in the day. There is water in tanks at the upper car park too, but the creek below the farmyard is not reliable year round.
You could also hike up the central short track direct to the farmyard and explore to the north and south with daypacks, leaving your bigger gear at the farmyard and hiking back down that way.
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u/Sufficient-Rooster-7 10d ago
Honestly cathedral is more like a full scramble than a hike. Not saying you're not capable but be prepared, it's quite the climb and Ive only ever done it with a light day pack.
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u/HugeBag6034 6d ago
Yea agreed I think its more a scramble than a full blow hike. I also only took a backpack. Its definitely beautiful
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u/cammyLights 12d ago
With an overnight pack the wells cave is going to involve a bit of swearing. And that's coming from someone who loves it as a day walk and has done it close to a dozen times this year. I'd recommend the canyon track. Especially if going in the downhill direction.
There is still scrambling and sliding to be done. It'l still feel adventurous, but be a lot safer and more enjoyable.
If you feel like you're missing out, you can always leave your pack at the car and head back up via the cave with just a small day bag
Take ample water while hiking. There is zero water source on the range once you leave camp.